Improvement in cigar-wrapping machines



SOGRATES SCHOLFIELD, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

Y, IMPROVEMENT IN CIGARLWRAPPING MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. h, dated July 15, 1873;application filed November 29, 1872.

To all-whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SOCRATES SGHOLFIELD, of Providence, in the county ofProvidence, and State of Rhode Island, have invented an Improvement inCigar-Wrapping Machines, of which the following is a specification Myinvention relates in one of its features to that class of machines inwhich the head of the cigar is formed or shaped by a die, placed at oneend of a cluster of revolving rolls; and it consists in imparting arapid vibrating movement to such a die, in order to allow the wrappertobe wound upon the head of the cigar with less friction or injuriousrubbing action than has` heretofore been attained in suchcigar-machines. My invention also consists in an improved method ofoperating the plunger which is employed to force the cigar into the headof the machine, the required forward movement of the plunger beingderived from the operative movement of the machine, as modified by theinterposition of a friction-joint or device. It also consists in animproved mode of driving the machine, whereby it is rendered easy tooperate, and is placed under perfect control 5 and in carrying out thisfeature of my invention, I use a friction-strap interposed between thedrivingpulley and the cluster of rolls, and likewise arranged incombination with a hand-crank to furnish a yielding auxiliary power, forthe purpose of assisting the operator whenever it is desired to controlthe movement of the machine by hand. a

Figure l is a longitudinal vertical section of a cigar-wrapping machineembodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine, showingalso my improved vmode of driving the same. Fig. 3 is an end elevation.Figs. 4 and 5 are detail sectional views. Fig. 6 shows a face -view ofthe heading-die.

In the drawing, A A represents the ordinary hollowed rolls of acigar-machine, driven` by the gears a/ a; and B, a heading-die, to whicha vibrating movement is impartedin the direction of the axis of therolls by means of the spring G, bar D, and cam E. Y

When the heading-die B is made stationary, as in-certain machinesheretofore constructed, the friction between the tapering-.head of theCigar and the inner surface of the die operates to prevent the wrapperfrom running in at the point properly; and in order to avoid thisdifficulty, machines have been so arranged that the operator couldwithdraw the heading-die at the proper moment by means of a treadle orotherwise, the die to be subsequently brought back in timely relation tothe forward progress of the wrapper, in order to smooth down the head ofthe cigar.

The foregoing operation being peculiarly dependent upon the acquiredskill of the operator for its success in the production of a Anicelyfinished head, has caused machines of this class to go out of use. ButinY my invention, by giving to the heading-die a vibrating motion, so asto cause it to move back and forth a number of times during a singlerevosented in its extreme outer position, the cam E in this case beingarranged to impart to the die eight vibrations during one revolution ofthe rolls A A.

When the die B is arranged to remain stationary at the time thewrapperis being wound onto the head of thercigar, the frictional-rubbingaction is "often sufficient to draw the wrapper to an injurious degree.But by my invention the amount of frictional action produced is governedby the number and extent of the vibrations of the heading-die, and istherefore capable of being regulated to such a degree that the properand necessary amountA of rubbing-action will not be exceeded.

After milling out the die B in the properv form to shape the head of acigar, the inner corner of its face, shown in Fig. 6, is to be cut awayand beveled toward the cavity r, except at s, at which pointthelbngitudinal curve necessary to give the required shape to the head ofthe cigar should be still preserved; and I also prefer to extend thepoint s, so as to project into the space between the rolls A A, as shownin Fig. 2. By this means the corner of the die is prevented fromchecking the forward progress of the wrapper as it enters the same, andthe extension of the face of the die at the point s prevents thepossibility of the formation of a ridge or wrinkle upon the surface ofthe cigar, caused by an imperfection of the joint between the ends ofthe rolls and the face of the heading-die.

The plunger F, which serves to force thc cigar up to the heading-die,passes through the hollow shaft G, to which it is is connected, so as torevolve therewith by means of the pin f, which enters the slot g. TheplungerFis connected to the operating-arm J upon the shaft K, by meansof the bar L and loose thimble B, which is held between the stationarycollars I I. The arm J is pressed against the hub of the gear M by meansof the nut N and spring O, shown in section in Fig. 4. The shaft K turnsin the bearing P, and the gear M is caused to revolve by means of theWorm Q, which in the drawing is represented as secured to a prolongationof the hub of the gear h. When the worm Q is turned in the properdirection motion will be imparted to the gear M, and thence, byfrictional contact, to the arm J, bar L, and plunger F. This device willtherefore serve to move the cigar forward in the machine until theresistance oered by the heading-die exceeds the amount of powertransmitted through the friction-joint between the gear M and arm J. Theplunger F will then cease its forward movement, and thereafter preservea constant uniform pressure upon the inclosed cigar, the gear Mcontinuing to revolve without imparting further movement to the arm J.The amount of friction between the gear M and arm J, and consequentlythe amount of force exerted by the plunger F upon a cigar placed betweenthe rolls AA may be adjusted with great nicety by means of the nut N andspring O. The collar I upon the rear of the plunger F is operatedagainst by the forked arm B. attached to the rod S, sliding in theguides T T, and which is to be moved back and forth by means of the camU operating between the pins V V.

When the heads W W, which carry the opening-rolls of the machine, arethrown back, as represented in Fig. 2, for the purpose of removingthefinished cigar and inserting another bunch in its place, the operationof the cam U will cause the plunger F to be thrown back out of the waywith a fixed positive `movement; but when the movable heads W W areagain brought up to the stationary heads X X, the plunger F will be leftbehind, and will afterward be moved up gradually with a yieldingpressure upon the inclosed bunch by means of the proper action of thefriction-joint above described.

The driving -pulley Y turns loosely upon the shaft Z, and imparts motionto the friction-strap a (shown in section in Fig. 5) by means of the pinc. The pulley Y is fastened to the shaft Z, and upon a. groove in itshub is placed the friction-strap a. Motion is transmitted from thepulley Y to the pulley Y by means of the band d and the bevel-gear c, tothe hubof which the pulley Y is secured, operates to drive the gears hand t' in reverse directions. Between the gears h and z' is placed thesliding clutch-collar j, in feather connection with the shaft G, andupon the hub of the gear h is placed the gear 7c, meshing with the gearZ, which is placed, with a crank, m, upon a shaft arranged to turn inthe bearing o.

By means of the friction-strap a and crankhandle m the movement of therolls A A may be placed under the complete control of the operator, forwhen the machine is arranged to receive, through the friction-strap,just sufficient power from the driving-pulley Y to run it properly,then, by simply holding back upon the handle m, the machine may bebrought to a stop, or allowed to run at any speed desired. The operatormay be thus so materially assisted, while controlling the movement ofthe rolls by hand, that the prdinary fatigue attending such work will beavoided.

By means of bevel-gears, as e, h, and i, and the clutch-collar j, themotion of the rolls may4 be reversed, and at the same time allow thedriving-power, whether applied by pulley or hand-crank, to act in thesam/e direction.

I claim as my inventionl. A cluster of rolls, A A, in combination with avibrating heading, B, arranged to operate upon the head of a cigar,substantially as described.

2. A plunger, F, arranged substantially as described, receiving anautomatic movement through suitable mechanism, including a yieldingfriction-joint, thereby operating upon the cigar with a uniformpressure.

3. In combination with the opening and closing rolls of a cigar-machine,a cam, U, and sliding-bar S, operating to move the plunger back intimely relation to the opening of the rolls, substantially as described.

4. In a cigar-wrapping machine, a frictionclamp, a, or its equivalent,when interposed between the driving-pulley Y and the rolls A A, and alsocombined with a hand-crank, m, substantially as described.

SOCRATES SOHOLFIELD.

Witnesses:

GEORGE H. ROGERS, ALBA R. ABBOTT.

